Captions first. Audio when needed.

YouTube Transcript

Turn a public YouTube video into editable text, timed subtitles, and translated captions. If captions are missing, Gemini listens to the video instead.

Create transcript Put the words to work

Transcript result

DemoSample language: English

A real video transcript excerpt. Open the source video to compare.

Text edits update copying and TXT. Edit subtitle cues in your subtitle editor.

Preview subtitle timings

1
00:00:02,540 --> 00:00:06,880
Hi, I'm Serena Aunon-Chancellor, I'm a NASA astronaut and this is Ask NASA.

2
00:00:07,460 --> 00:00:09,170
And I'm ready for your questions.

3
00:00:14,540 --> 00:00:17,580
All right, so first question, What is Artemis?

4
00:00:17,580 --> 00:00:18,600
or what is the Artemis program?

5
00:00:18,600 --> 00:00:21,600
So the Artemis program is our lunar exploration program.

Put the words to work

One video. More ways to use it.

A transcript is the starting point. Take the text into your own writing, learning, research, or caption workflow. Here are four places to begin.

Content creators

Article drafts

Turn your own tutorial, podcast, or interview into a writing reference with a YouTube transcript. Find the explanation you want, copy the relevant passage, and reshape it into a newsletter or blog draft. Keep the video URL beside your copy, remove spoken repetition, and add context for readers who have not watched.

Create transcript

Creator recording a spoken video tutorial with a phone, laptop, and notebook — Workflow example
Spoken words
“The first thing I check before filming is the light.”
Your next step
Build an article outline around lighting, framing, and sound.

Students & learners

Study notes

Use a YouTube transcript to revisit a lecture, coding walkthrough, or language lesson at your own pace. Read along, search the downloaded TXT for a term, and write a short explanation in your own words. Note the timestamp of a difficult section so you can return to the demonstration instead of replaying the entire lesson.

Create transcript

Student listening to a video lesson and writing study notes at a library desk — Workflow example
Spoken words
“Retrieval practice means trying to recall before checking.”
Your next step
Write a revision question, then check your answer against the lesson.

Marketing & research teams

Research quotes

A YouTube transcript helps researchers compare interview answers and product explanations without repeatedly scrubbing through long videos. Gather the passages relevant to your question, keep speaker names and source links, and listen again before quoting. Separate what the speaker actually said from your interpretation when preparing an editorial brief or a customer research document.

Create transcript

Two content researchers reviewing a video and annotating a campaign brief — Workflow example
Spoken words
“We changed the onboarding after hearing the same question.”
Your next step
Add a verified quote and its video timestamp to your research brief.

Video editors

Translated captions

Download timed SRT or VTT from a YouTube transcript to begin a caption review. For another language, select translation before transcribing. Import the file into your editor, check terminology and reading speed, and preview it beside the original video. Text-area edits affect copying and TXT; correct subtitle cues in your subtitle editor after downloading.

Create transcript

Video editor wearing headphones to review a talking-head video and caption timeline — Workflow example
Spoken words
“Let’s walk through the setup, one step at a time.”
Your next step
Review a timed caption draft in your editor before publishing.

01 / Source ladder

Use the captions YouTube already has

A YouTube Transcript starts with the video ID in a public watch or share link. The service asks YouTube’s media provider for the subtitle tracks attached to that video and converts the first usable track into timed segments. This caption-first path preserves the cue boundaries supplied with the video, avoids listening to audio that has already been transcribed, and usually finishes faster than speech recognition. The result badge says “YouTube captions” when this direct path succeeds, so you know where the words and timings originated.

02 / Translate

Translate without throwing away the timeline

Choose a target language before starting if you need translated captions. Translation happens after the source transcript is created. Each timed segment is translated separately and must return with the same start and end values, which keeps the subtitle sequence aligned with the original speech. That makes the output practical for localized caption drafts instead of producing one unstructured block of translated prose. You can also keep the original language and edit the source wording directly.

03 / Export

Choose text for notes or timed files for captions

TXT is available for every successful YouTube Transcript and works well for research, show notes, quotations, article drafts, and searchable archives. SRT and WebVTT are enabled when timed segments exist. SRT is widely accepted by desktop editors and social publishing tools; WebVTT is designed for browser video players. Both formats preserve the cue order returned by the source pipeline, so you can review timing beside the original video rather than rebuilding the sequence by hand.

04 / Publish responsibly

Keep the source, the edit, and the permission clear

A transcript can make a long video easier to search, quote, translate, summarize, and repurpose. Keep the original YouTube URL beside the edited copy so collaborators can verify a passage in context. Record important corrections when the text will support an article, accessibility workflow, customer research, or legal review. That simple audit trail separates the automatic first draft from the version a person has checked and approved. Only process videos you are allowed to access and reuse. A transcript does not transfer copyright, privacy rights, publicity rights, or permission from the creator.

FAQ

Transcript questions

Is YouTube Transcript free?+

Yes. It is free for a limited preview period, with no account or credits required. Per-minute limits keep the shared subtitle and speech-recognition services responsive.

What happens when a YouTube video has no captions?+

The service falls back to Gemini speech recognition and returns timed segments when the public video can be processed.

Can I translate YouTube subtitles?+

Yes. Select a target language before starting. Translation preserves each segment’s start and end time so SRT and VTT remain available.

Which YouTube links work?+

Use a public YouTube watch or share link. Private, deleted, age-restricted, region-blocked, or login-only videos may not be available.

Should I review the transcript before publishing?+

Yes. Check names, numbers, terminology, translation choices, and subtitle timing against the original video.

Start with a video you have in mind.

Paste a public link, review the words, and take the text into your next project.

Create transcript